Bonds
by MChronicleSword
Summary: During a war against the Akatsuki, Gaara discovers who he really is, with the help of a good friend...
1. Demon of the Sand

_At Wind Country, in the Sand Village..._

Gaara sits alone on a swing holding his teddy bear, watching a group of boys play soccer in front of him.

"Here! Pass it! Oh crap!" The soccer ball gets stuck on top of a nearby wall.

"What do we do now? We can't climb walls yet."

Suddenly, a portion of sand rises to the ball, picks up the ball, and slowly lands on Gaara's hands.

"Y… you… you are… Ga…Gaa… Gaara! Its Gaara of the Sand!" says one kid, "R…Run for it!"

"Wait," Gaara cries, "Don't leave me alone!" As Gaara raises his hand, wishing they can stop running away from him, sand rises in front of Gaara, and holds the kids in place. Apparently his body is too small to contain the power inside him, and he cannot control it very well.

"Ahh! Help! Let go of me!"

Gaara whimpers, "I… I… just don't want to be alone anymore…" Sand continues to hold the kids in place.

A man screams, "Lord Gaara, please calm yourself down!" Gaara released the children, and in his mind, cursed himself for being so dangerous to the world, as he stared at the children he has knocked unconscious.

Back in his room, Gaara tries to cut himself on his wrist with a knife. "It's no use. The sand keeps getting in the way. Sigh…"

His uncle Yashamaru comes in. "As a member of your medical team at the Kazekage's command, my job is to protect you, Gaara, from any harm, so please do not try to cut yourself, although the sand will protect you anyways." Yashamaru grins.

"I'm sorry…" Gaara mutters, "I was just wondering, do injuries hurt?"

"…Oh this?" Yashamaru points at his bandaged forehead. "It hurts a little, but it is not a serious injury."

"Hey Yashamaru."

"Yes?"

Gaara looks up at him, "What is pain? I never got injured so… I wonder what it is like."

Silence fills the room.

"Hmmm…. How should I put it? Afflictive... or dreadful… like when you are beaten or cut…" There was silence as Yashamaru thought. "In short, you are in an unbearable condition in which you feel like you are unable to stay in your usual self. I cannot explain it very well, but I can only say that it feels very unpleasant." He grinned.

"Yashamaru… then… do you… hate me?" asks Gaara. Yashamaru stares at him, and smiles.

"In life there are times people can inflict pain and get hurt by others, but it is not that easy to dislike someone from such experience." Yashamaru states with a grin.

Gaara smiles. "Thank you Yashamaru, I think I understand what pain is."

"Is that so?"

"Then, does that mean I am injured just like everyone else?" Gaara asks. Yashamaru becomes surprised at his question. "I always feel pain…"

"Although it does not bleed, this part hurts so much." Gaara points to his heart, sadly.

Yashamaru takes Gaara's knife. He cuts himself on his finger, and shows Gaara. Gaara flinches.

"Bodies bleed upon physical injuries, and they may look quite harmful. But eventually, the pain will wear off as time passes, and they can heal faster with medical help."

"Continue…"

"But there are more serious injuries than physical injuries. Those are emotional injuries. They are much harder to heal than physical injuries." He puts a hand on his chest. "And they usually hurt right here."

"Emotional injuries…?"

"Physical and emotional injuries are different," Yashamaru states, "Unlike physical injuries, there is no medicine available to heal emotional injuries, and the pain may never go away."

Gaara becomes overwhelmed with sorrow.

"Don't be sad Gaara. There is one thing that can stop such emotional pain."

"Really? What is it?"

There was a pause. "As inconvenient as it may seem, this cure can only be given to you by somebody other than yourself." Yashamaru glances at a picture of Gaara's mother sitting on Gaara's desk. "…It is_ love_."

"Love? H… How can I receive that?" Gaara asks with hope.

Yashamaru smiles at him. "Lord Gaara, you are already receiving it."

"Huh?"

"Love is… care and devotion you feel for the precious ones around you. Like what your mother had for you." Yashamaru's eyes turn to the picture of Gaara's mother. "I believe she loved you so very much. The Sand Shukaku is primarily a living spirit specialized in attacks. Its automatic defense is a proof of material affection. Your mother's will remained in the sand to protect you."

"Mommy…" Tears began to form in Gaara's eyes.

"Even after death, she wished to be there for you."

There was another pause. "Hey Yashamaru. About today, thank you for stopping me." Gaara shows a faint smile.

"You are very welcome." Yashamaru smiles. "After all, Lord Gaara, you are the precious one around me!"

"Yashamaru, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"I want some ointments…"

With his ointments, Gaara happily trotts to the house of one of the children he injured. He knocks on the door. "I'm sorry about earlier. Please use this ointment. It will help you feel better."

"Go away you monster." The kid slams the door on Gaara. He stood there… wondering why. Why does everyone hate him?

Sadly, he walks across town back to his bedroom. On the way he bumps onto a man.

"Watch it you little brat!"

Gaara's eyes begin to burn with rage, as he stared at the man in the corner of his eye.

"Y… You… You are..!" The man becomes terrified.

As his eyes fill with rage, Gaara thought, "_Why? Why does everybody hate me?_"

With haste, sand surrounds the man forming a coffin of sand, and crushes him to the ground, killing him. The villagers around him stood in place, staring at him with discust as he walked back to his room.

That night, Gaara sat on the roof of his bedroom, filled with pain and sorrow. Here, it is only him and the sand around the village. He looked up and saw a shooting star shoot across the sky. He was the only one that probably saw it in the cold midnight, but he was too depressed to make a wish. Being miserable for life, it would take a great miracle for his life to turn around.

"I knew it I knew it I knew it. My life will never change. How come, only I am such a dangerous monster and nobody else? What exactly am I?"

"_There is only one thing that can stop such emotional pain. It is love."_

"I never chose to be a monster…Yashamaru…"

Suddenly, a rain of kunai knives (throwing knives) are thrown at Gaara from behind. Luckily the sand instantly blocked all of the kunais that were aimed for his back. Gaara turns around.

"What? Why me? WHY ME? Why must it be me?"

Another rain of kunais are thrown at him from the masked ninja. Immediately, Gaara blocked the kunais, and directed the sand to trap and crush him. Gaara dashed to the masked ninja, and gasped as he unmasked the ninja he had injured.

"…Impressive… Lord Gaara." It was Yashamaru.

Gaara, in shock, gripped his heart and his head. Full of confusion, Gaara let out a long, loud cry. Tears started to fall down his cheeks. Over and over, in a pattern, he continued to feel that pain ever since his birth. This is his emotional pain. It never escapes him.

"W… Why… Why… Why is this… Why you? Why you?"

"_Love is care and devotion you feel for the precious ones around you… Lord Gaara, you are the precious one around me!"_

"Why?" Tears continue to fall down his cheeks. "Always… You were always… only you were my… friend!"

"It was an order. I was ordered to assassinate you, by your father – the Kazekage."

""

"My father?" Gaara gripped his heart, and he spat blood out of his mouth. "Why… why would he want me dead?"

"…You were born to be possessed by the Sand Shukaku. Until today, you have been watched over as an experimental subject. However, you are yet unable to control the powers of the living Shukaku. Before long your existence will become too dangerous for the village itself. We the sand village, could not let that happen."

"Then… does that mean you had no choice? It was because of father…" Gaara showed a hopeful smile. His father hated him, but maybe Yashamaru still loves him.

"No. You made a mistake. Yes I did receive the order from your father, but I could have declined it if I wanted to.

""

"Gaara… deep down inside me, I must have always… thought of you as an annoyance. For coming into this world, stealing life away from my beloved sister, or in other words your mother. I tried my best to love you by thinking of you as her memento, but I could not."

"?"

"She never wished to give birth to you. She was sacrificed for the village and therefore died while cursing at it. Ever since then, I have been carrying emotional scars that never healed."

"_Unlike physical pain, there is no medicine available for emotional pain, and the pain may never go away._" Gaara continues to cry.

"Your mother gave you your name. She said, '_The child's name is Gaara, a demon that loves only himself._' Love only yourself, and fight only for your sake. She wished and believed that your existence is forever as long as you live, but she did not give you your name out of concern or love for you.

"…"

"That name was given to you in hope of your eternal existence… to let your mother's grudge be passed down to generations, and be known to the world."

"Gaara… _you were never loved!_"

"Now… please die Gaara."

He unzipped her vest, where a pile of letter bombs sat inside. The letter bombs exploded, in attempt to destroy Gaara once and for all. Yashamaru is killed, but Gaara's sand instantly formed a giant shield to protect him from the explosion.

"_I believed she loved you so very much._" "Love?"

"_It's automatic perfect defense is a proof of material affection._"

"Ugh…"

"_Your mother's will remained in the sand to protect you._"

"Ahh… AAhhh…"

"_It's love._"

"RHAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Rage boils up in Gaara. His sand surrounds his head, and forges the word "Love" on his forhead. The shield of sand begins to break up and drip to the ground.

"_Love only yourself, and fight for only your sake._"

He shows a serious expression on his face. "That's right… that's me… Gaara… Gaara of the Sand. I finally understand now."

"I am alone. I won't trust anybody any more. I won't love. I'm on my own. Haha… That's right… I'm all alone."

"I'm all alone…"


	2. Kohona's Jinchurrichi

"It's twelve 0'clock midnight right now. Where is Naruto?"

"Sigh… I bet that idiot is still trying to climb that tree. Does he have any common sense in him?"

"…Whatever I'll go get him."

All night long, while everyone is in deep sleep…

"Naruto!….."

"Naruto!…………"

"Naruto!"

He saw Naruto on the grass near some trees, sleeping soundly right next to a tree with many marks made from a kunai knife, the tree he was climbing.

"_zzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzz…_"

"He's so determined that he's willing to replace sleep for this. Yep that's Naruto … classic Naruto…"

Kakashi stared at the markings on the tree. "Hmm… what kind of height did he want Naruto to climb?"

"_zzzZZZzzz… must…zzzZZZzzz…_"

"He's probably wiped out already… or at least is too tired to continue…" Muttered Kakashi.

He lifts up the drooling Naruto and slowly carries him to his bed, where he slept for the rest of the night.

While he stares at the snoring Naruto…

He has one of the strongest wills in this village, to be willing to skip sleep most days, fighting for the position of Hokage.

"zzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz…"

Hopefully his constant training with the 3rd Hokage will progress fast enough… fast enough for him to be well prepared enough to support the Wind Country in the war. He is the village's one jinchurrichi. He must be put to use soon.

The next morning, on the roof of a house…

"…YaWnn…"

"Naruto… you are late again. Have a seat."

Naruto sat on a chair placed right at the middle of the roof. "Yea whatever… so did I manage to climb high enough?"

"…You couldn't achieve much focus being half asleep every time you try to climb that thing," Said the 3rd "It's not easy to control your chakra while tired…"

"Psh… doesn't anybody EVER notice my determination here?"

The Hokage gave Naruto a glare. "You passed."

Naruto fell off his chair. "Really? Awesome! But… wasn't that mark too low?"

"You've managed to climb twenty meters… I'll let you go on that. Assuming it took 10 seconds for you to get that high, you won't really need to concentrate _that_ long to perform a jutsu anyways."

Naruto started fidgeting with excitement. "Thanks! So what are you going to teach me today?"

The Hokage started walking around in circles. "Hmm… Today I will teach you how to improve your stamina."

His fidgeting stopped. "Aww… why can't you teach me something more exciting! Like _genjutsu_! Everyday is just more training training training…"

"No you should not learn genjutsu right now, or any other jutsu. That is of no importance right now. Since you are a melee type shinobi, I want you to excel on that first."

Naruto gave out a loud whine. "Fine whatever… what are we doing…?"

"_What you really need to learn is some manners_…" He muttered. "...Here is what I want you to do… First I want you to run eight laps around this village. Then after a short break, then I want you to jump rope 200 times. Then I'll think of the rest later. You don't need to rush on the jump roping, but I want you to run the eight laps as fast as you can. I will think of what else you should do later."

"…What?"

"Basically all we are doing today is strengthening your muscles."

For the rest of morning and afternoon, the Sandaime Hokage started training Naruto to raise his stamina level, hoping that his movement speed will also increase. He has set up several workout drills and routines that should build up Naruto's muscles and endurance.

"Ok Naruto, that's enough for today. I have business to attend to. You can do these exercises on your own time if you want to. This kind of training can make a huge impact on your body. They are a great help while you're in a long fight."

"Thanks… wait I want to ask you something."

"Yes Naruto?"

"What is it really like to be a Hokage?"

"Well… Being Hokage means being one of the busiest people in this entire village, after all You basically run it, but this hard work that every Hokage does really is rewarding, because everybody looks up to you when you work hard."

"Hard work… hard work…"

"Yes. Speaking of hard work, you also need to master a wide arsenal of supernatural techniques. This is what really separates the Hokage from everyone else. They are amazingly strong. I think you've already seen some of mine when I fought Orichimaru, before you went off to bring Sasuke back from chasing the wind country genin. You did a great job with your team to bring him back."

"Those powerful jutsu… I'll never be able to perform those! Those jutsu are just insane! But I really want people to notice me…"

"Don't worry. Eventually you will be able to master some techniques unique to you. Jiraya already taught you the Rasengan right? You should know that only three people in the world know how to use it – The 4th Hokage, Jiraya, and you. Even I don't know how to use the Rasengan!"

Wiped out and tired, Naruto slowly walks back to his bedroom. Along the way he overhears other happy families, which repeatedly reminds him of his miserable past…

A woman screamed nearby. "Congratulations! I never knew you could master such a high level technique! I'll be making you your favorite dinner tonight… I'm so proud of you!"

_Hmph… It just had to be me huh… I just HAD to be the village's monster… I just HAD to be so scary… and I didn't even do a single thing to them!_

"Wow your progress is outstanding! You'll become a chunin in no time! Who knows… maybe you can progress fast enough to be the next hokage! Ahahahaha!"

_Naruto you idiot… Shut up and calm yourself! You won't do much good complaining like you used to. You have friends right now. Yea that's right. You've fought many strong genin in that chunin exam… and also earned some respect there, and also some new friends. You are getting stronger and stronger now. I'll punch you if you go back to being a suckup…_

-SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING FOR THIS CHAPTER i was constantly editing this story cuzi keep doubting it  
-And I also got lazy when school started

-Chapter 3 comming soon (hopefully) - Preparation for War


End file.
